Vella Gulf
by nevesara
Summary: A short story inspired by E-5 of Fall 2015 event in Kantai Collection and the battle of Vella Gulf.


"Aneki, aneki." Shigure opened her eyes and looked at her sister who brings her mind back to the present, it is Kawakaze. Standing behind her sister is the Kagerou sisters, Arashi and Hagikaze.

"I-It is time. Shigure-san. We should move." Hagikaze said timidly.

Shigure looked up to the night sky. It is a starless night, perfect for the current operation. "Let us move then." They had been resting near these small islands for some time now. Not long after they set out from their base, they had been spotted by the abyssals. Though they had successfully outran them and eventually lost them in this island chain, it will only be a matter of time before the abyssals show up again.

Shigure, being the leader of this mission, decided to wait until nightfall before continuing the mission. They are carrying supplies bound for the south-eastern front this time. This is not the first time that Shigure had led a transport mission, nor was it the first time that an operation deviates from the plan. She had been in mission far more dangerous than this one. Yet Shigure is not confident about the mission currently at hand.

"Alright, check your gears, we're moving out." After giving out the orders, Shigure took the lead position and sailed out.

"Shigure-san is certainly used to this kind of operation." Arashi said non-chalantly.

"That's my lovely Shigure-aneki. She may not look like it but she's certainly up for the job." Having said that, Kawakaze quickly sailed after her sister.

"Come on, let's move too, Hagi. Can't let the Shiratsyus take all the glory."

"Wait." As Arashi about to sail forward, Hagikaze stopped her.

"What is it, Hagi?"

"I-I…I'm just not feeling too well."

"Huh?! Are you alright? Are you hurt? Did the abyssals hit you last battle? Why didn't you say anything? Come on, let's tell Shigure-san to turn back."

"No, no, Arashi, you're overreacting. I'm fine, I'm just… fine."

"No you're not. Tell me what's wrong."

"It's just, the night, it seems unusually dark."

"Ni-night?" Arashi made a sigh of relief, "You scared me for a second there, Hagi."

"Well," seeing Hagikaze did not reply, Arashi continued, "we can always use this." Arashi took the searchlight out of her belt and flash it toward Hagikaze

"Hey! Turn it off before someone sees it."

Arashi gave off a laugh before turning it off and said: "You seem better now, let's go. Hagi."

Unbeknownst to the destroyers, a blue eye not far away from them saw the flash from the light…

* * *

A few hours of sailing in utter darkness, the destroyers are closing toward their destination. Suddenly, sound of the laughter of children was heard by the destroyers.

"What the hell is that noise?"Kawakaze asked.

"That's… AMBUSH!" Before Shigure can finish, a salvo of torpedoes had already hit the destroyers.

The starless night is lit up by the fiery explosion of the torpedoes.

Shigure quickly checked her gear and her surroundings. Shrapnel from the explosion had hit Shigure's gear, damaging the rudder. Though she was unharmed, her companions were not as fortunate as her. She quickly closed the distance with Kawakaze, who is starting to sink as blood sprout out from her thigh and stomach.

"Kawakaze, hang on." Shigure ripped out part of her clothes and tried to stop her sister from bleeding out.

"Damn… those… imps. Shi…gure-ane, it's… too… late for me… Find… the other two…"

"Stop talking, I'll get you out of here." Shigure said as tears flowing out of her eyes.

"Ane…ki… let me…" Before Kawakze finished, her eyes had already sealed shut forever.

"No…This can't be..." Shigure's cried as she tried to hang on to the body, but the weight of her sister only grew heavier. Eventually she had given up, and let her sister go.

All the while, laughter of children can be heard far away.

* * *

"Hagi." As Arashi opened her eyes, she called out to Hagikaze. At the same time, she noticed the pain from her body. Arashi quickly noted the situation. She was wounded by the torpedoes and is being carried by her sister. She can see her sister firing her guns toward the darkness while screaming, but there does not seem to be enemy, as no shot is being returned from the darkness.

"Hagi, calm down. There's no one around." Arashi called out to her sister again.

Hearing Arashi's voice this time, Hagikaze finally stopped her attack and assesses the situation around her.

"Arashi! I thought … I thought you were…"

"I'm fine, it just hurts a little." Arashi replied, "where's Shigure and Kawakaze?"

"I… I don't know…"

"Well, let's find them first, okay?"

Hagikaze nodded her head in response.

"Let me get off of you. I think I can still move." Arashi saw the bloodied face of her sister, "you're hurt." Arashi said that as she wiped off the blood from Hagikaze with her gloves.

"Don't worry about me."

"Alright, that should do it," Arashi said after she finished cleaning the blood and checking her equipments, "now, let's find Shigure-san and Kawakaze-san." Arashi switched on her searchlight.

"Hey, turn that off, someone's going to see us."

"If they can ambush us before without lights, they already know where we…" Before she can finish, a shot went through her chest.

"ARASHI!" Hagikaze screamed and fired her guns at the enemy who shot her sister. Through the muzzle flash of her guns and the searchlight, she knew they had been surrounded. She carried her sister over her shoulder while charged through the abyssals.

Suddenly, the abyssals from the east seemed to falling out of their formation. Hagikaze took the chance and broke through in that direction. It was Shigure who attacked the encirclement from the rear.

* * *

Hagikaze, with the help of Shigure, managed to break through the encirclement and seemed to have lost the abyssals for now.

"Shigure-san, please save Arashi." Hagikaze said as she lay down her sister due to wound and exhaustion.

Shigure examined Arashi in silence and shook her head in response.

"Wh-what do you mean? Say something!"

"It's too late for her."

"NO! It can't be, you must save her. Take her with you, please. I'll hold them off while you escape."

"It's okay, Hagi, it's okay," Arashi said with a faint voice, "don't worry, Hagi, This is it for me. We'll… definitely meet again someday. Shigure, I'll leave her to you." Arashi's body sank after she finished.

"AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" Hagikaze tried to hold on to her sister, but Shigure stopped her.

"Hagikaze-san, we have to move."

"No, I'm not leaving, not without Arashi."

"Hagikaze-san…"

"Say, Shigure-san, where is Kawakaze-san?" Hagikaze interrupted Shigure before she can finish.

"She didn't make it."

"How come you're so calm, Shigure-san? She's your sister, right?"

"Now is not the time, Hagikaze-san. We have to go before they find us again."

"You go on ahead. I'm not leaving."

"Hagikaze-san, now's not the time to…" Before Shigure can finish, Hagikaze pushed her away as a torpedo shot right pass them.

"Shigure-san, you must go now!" Hagikaze said with her back turned to Shigure.

Shigure wanted to say more to convince her, but as she look at Hagikaze again, she noticed a wound on Hagikaze's back that she did not notice before. She must had gotten it while carrying Kawakaze.

"Hagikaze-san, you are…"

"Yeah, guess this is it for me too. Now go! Before it is too late."

Shigure looked at her companion one last time, before hightailing out of the upcoming battle. As Shigure leaves, she can hear the laughter of children approaching from behind.

"Arashi, we'll meet again soon." Hagikaze whispered these words to herself as she charges toward the blue lights in the darkness.

* * *

Hagikaze lied on her back. She thought she's going to sink, like her sister before her. But that has not happened yet. "Strange," she thought, "with this wound, I should have sunk long ago."

Hagikaze tried to look around her one last time. She saw hundreds of children-like abyssals around her. Yet they are not attacking, as if waiting for something, or someone to come. Hagikaze did not wait long for that to happen, as the children make way for a dark figure. The dark figure made her way to Hagikaze and kneeled down next to her.

Hagikaze cannot see the dark figure clearly. She felt the dark figure had touched her face, wiping off the blood on her face. She heard the dark figure said something, as if she is chanting or wailing, but she did not understand what it meant.

Not long after, the dark figure stood up and left the way she came. Before Hagikaze could understood what had happened. She felt a force had pulled her down into the water. Before she lose consciousness, she realized that it is the abyssal children who dragged her down with them.

"The… night… really… is… scary… isn't… it? "Hagikaze's thought before darkness overcome her.


End file.
